Which of New York's newer art and design museums is worth your time?
Beyond the Met and MoMA, New York has picked up a run of smaller, newer art and design spaces built for an afternoon rather than a full day. Mercer Labs is an immersive art-and-technology playground, the Banksy Museum gathers full-scale reproductions of the street artist's work, and the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) holds craft and design at Columbus Circle. Each sits in a different part of the city and asks a different price, so this guide compares what you get for $57, $30 and $20.
About This Experience
Three separate spaces: Mercer Labs sits downtown near the World Trade Center, the Banksy Museum is a few blocks away downtown, and the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is at Columbus Circle in Midtown.
Mercer Labs sits near the Fulton Center transit hub downtown. MAD is right at Columbus Circle, reachable on the A, B, C, D or 1 train to 59 St-Columbus Circle.
All three keep daily hours and sell timed entry, so check each museum's calendar before you go.
Mercer Labs is $57, the Banksy Museum is $30, and the Museum of Arts and Design is $20. All three tickets are timed.
Three very different newer stops beyond the big five art museums, from immersive tech to street-art reproductions to craft and design.
Mercer Labs packs more than 30 immersive rooms of projection, sound and mirror floors. The Banksy Museum lines its walls with over 160 full-scale reproductions, not originals. MAD keeps its craft and design galleries small enough to see well in under an hour.
Check Live Availability & Prices
Timed tickets for all three museums move fast on weekends, so lock in a slot before you plan the rest of your day.
Which New York Art and Design Museum to Pick
Mercer Labs is the priciest of the three at $57, and it earns the difference by being the most immersive: more than 30 rooms of projection, sound and mirror floors from a co-creator of Meow Wolf. It rates 4.5 stars from 765 travelers, and it plays best with teenagers and anyone who wants to wander through a piece of art rather than stand in front of one.
The Banksy Museum, at $30, is a different kind of ticket. It holds more than 160 full-scale reproductions of the street artist's work, not the originals, gathered under one roof downtown so you can walk the whole body of work in an hour or two. Its 4.5-star rating reflects how well it delivers on that promise, as long as you go in knowing it is a survey, not a gallery of originals.
The Museum of Arts and Design, at $20, is the smallest and cheapest of the three, a sharp collection of jewelry, glass and furniture at Columbus Circle that most visitors clear in well under an hour. It rates 4.2 stars and suits anyone pairing a museum stop with a walk through Central Park rather than building a day around it. None of these three will fill an afternoon on their own; treat them as the add-ons after the main event, and browse the the full lineup of museums in New York to build the rest of the day around them.
Three Newer Art and Design Museums
Each of these opened well after the Met and MoMA staked their ground, and each asks a different amount of time and money.
from $57 Mercer Labs Museum of Art & Technology
- 30+ immersive rooms
- Near Times Square
- Great for teens
from $30 
from $20 What You'll See
Mercer Labs moves you through immersive rooms built around projection, sound and mirrored floors, more sensory playground than gallery, with a design pedigree from a co-creator of Meow Wolf. The Banksy Museum takes the opposite approach: static walls lined with more than 160 full-scale reproductions of the artist's stencils, murals and installations, arranged so you can trace two decades of his work in one visit.
The Museum of Arts and Design treats craft as seriously as painting, with jewelry, glass and furniture displayed across a handful of tight galleries at Columbus Circle. It is the smallest of the three by far, and the fastest to see well.
How a Visit Flows
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Before you go
Book your timed slot
Reserve online for whichever museum you're visiting, Mercer Labs at $57, the Banksy Museum at $30, or MAD at $20; slots for Mercer Labs and the Banksy Museum sell out first on weekends.
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On arrival
Check in with your phone ticket
Show your confirmation at the door; none of the three require printed tickets, and bag checks are quick since none of these spaces are large.
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First 20 minutes
Get oriented
At Mercer Labs, staff walk you through the first few rooms before you're free to wander; at the Banksy Museum and MAD, you set your own pace from the entrance.
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Midway
Slow down at the highlights
Mercer Labs' mirror-floor rooms and the Banksy Museum's stencil walls are where most people linger; at MAD, the jewelry and glass cases reward a slower look.
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Last stop
Gift shop, then exit
Each museum ends near a small shop with prints or design objects tied to what you just saw.
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After
Pair it with what's nearby
MAD sits a short walk from Central Park; Mercer Labs and the Banksy Museum are both close enough downtown to combine with a Financial District afternoon.
Know Before You Go
Not suitable for
- Anyone expecting to see original Banksy artwork at the Banksy Museum
- Young children unsettled by dark rooms or loud sound at Mercer Labs
- Visitors wanting a half-day museum; all three are quick stops
What to bring
- A charged phone for your timed-entry ticket
- Comfortable shoes; expect to stand and walk throughout
- A light layer for Mercer Labs' darker, air-conditioned rooms
- Patience for weekend queues at the door
Not allowed
- Large backpacks or bags at Mercer Labs and the Banksy Museum
- Flash photography in several Mercer Labs installations
- Food or drink inside any of the three galleries
Insider Tips
A few things that make the difference between a rushed stop and a good one.
- Book Mercer Labs for a weekday morning slot if you want the mirror rooms without a crowd
- Go into the Banksy Museum knowing it's reproductions, not originals, so you're not caught off guard
- Pair MAD with a Central Park walk since the museum itself runs under an hour
- Wear shoes you can stand in for Mercer Labs' longer, room-to-room format
- Check each museum's own site the morning of, since timed slots shift with demand
- Skip all three if you're already on a tight one-day itinerary anchored by the Met or MoMA
Where You're Headed
New York Art and Design Museums Tickets FAQ
How much does it cost to visit Mercer Labs, the Banksy Museum and MAD?
Mercer Labs is $57, the Banksy Museum is $30, and the Museum of Arts and Design is $20. All three sell timed tickets online.
Are the works at the Banksy Museum real Banksy pieces?
No. The Banksy Museum shows more than 160 full-scale reproductions of the artist's street works, not the originals.
What are the opening hours for these museums?
All three keep daily hours with timed entry; check each museum's own calendar the week you plan to go, since hours can shift by season.
Do any of these museums close on a specific day?
All three open daily, though it's worth confirming timed slots are still available before you commit to a date.
How do I get to the Museum of Arts and Design?
MAD sits at Columbus Circle, reachable on the A, B, C, D or 1 train to 59 St-Columbus Circle.
What will I actually see at Mercer Labs?
More than 30 immersive rooms built around projection, sound and mirror floors, designed by a co-creator of Meow Wolf; it's closer to a sensory experience than a traditional gallery.
How far ahead should I book?
A few days ahead is safest for Mercer Labs and the Banksy Museum, since weekend slots go first; MAD tends to have more same-day availability.
Can I see all three in one day?
You could, but none of them will fill a full day on their own, so most visitors treat them as add-ons around a bigger museum like the Met or MoMA.
What Visitors Say
The mirror room at Mercer Labs alone was worth the $57, my kids didn't want to leave.
Went into the Banksy Museum expecting originals and left glad I'd read up first; still a great hour of reproductions.
MAD was the perfect twenty-minute stop before Central Park, small but every case was worth reading.